WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2950/98 by Cristiana MUSCARDINI to the Commission. Recognition of academic qualifications
Date: 1998-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, MUSCARDINI
Subjects: Italy, United Kingdom, education policy, mutual recognition principle, recognition of diplomas, recognition of studies

C 135/144

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.5.1999

concessionaire is himself a contracting authority, he shall comply with the provisions of this Directive in
the case of works to be carried out by third parties. Paragraph 4 of the Article, on the other hand, stipulates
that a concessionaire other than a contracting authority is bound only to apply the advertising rules. There
is no provision preventing any third party in relation to the concessionaire from conducting the procedures
for the award of public works contracts.

The Italian Authorities set up an external commission as part of their effort to make the rules for

2.
applying for the concession as transparent as possible and open to competition.

The Commission, in order to reply more precisely to the third question, invites the Honourable

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Member to be more specific in his question about the stable core of shareholders.

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The Commission reminds the Honourable Member that institutionally it has relations exclusively
with the Member States’ authorities. It is for these national authorities to establish what means and
resources should be employed and to determine the composition of the delegations that deal with the
Commission.

(1) OJ L 199, 9.8.1993.

(1999/C 135/176)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2950/98

by Cristiana Muscardini (NI) to the Commission

(8 October 1998)

Subject: Recognition of academic qualifications

In the reply to question E-1304/98 (1) which I submitted on 29 April 1998 no mention is made of the third
question, which I shall rephrase for ease of understanding: With what conditions must an Italian student
with a Master of Arts degree from the Open University in Britain comply so that his degree is recognised?

1.

2.

3.

Can the Commission provide the information requested?

If not, to whom must students in this situation turn to obtain correct information?

Does the Commission rule out taking steps to ensure that such students have their rights recognised?

(1) OJ C 354, 19.11.1998, p. 89.

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(18 November 1998)

In reply to the first question, the Commission would like to refer to its answer to the Honourable
Member’s Written Question No 1304/98 (1), in which it explained that there is no system of automatic
recognition of diplomas in the Community. As a result, the ‘Master of Arts’ degree awarded by the Open
University in the UK is not automatically recognised in Italy or any other Member State. Furthermore, in
reply to the third question, the Commission would like to emphasise once again that the academic
recognition of diplomas and the conditions which must be fulfilled for diplomas to be recognised are the
exclusive responsibility of the Member States. In view of the diversity of the contents and structure of
higher education in the Community, diplomas are assessed on a case-by-case basis. This means that Open
University graduates wishing to have their ‘Master of Arts’ degree recognised in Italy will have to apply to
the Italian authorities.

(1) OJ C 354, 24.11.1998.